If you have a locked Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, Note 2 or Note 3, you’ll be interested in an unlock code that’s used by Samsung engineers and that can free up your handset to roam as many carriers or continents as you want.
If your handset is tied into Verizon, for example, you can only use it on that network, but once it’s unlocked, you can use it with any SIM you fancy. You could take the phone overseas and use it, or send it to a relative abroad.
To get started, you need to remove the native SIM and replace it with one from another carrier. Then turn off the phone before turning it back on again.
Go to your dialpad and enter *#197328640#. Head to your main menu > [1] UMTS > [1] Debug Screen > [8] Phone Control > [6] Network Lock > Options [3] Perso SHA256 OFF. Wait for 30 seconds or so before eading back to the main menu and selecting “back”. You’ll now see a “Network Lock” message. Choose [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ.
If you entered the sequence right, it should read: “Asterisk Pound One Nine Seven Three Two Eight Six Four Zero Pound”. Remember that some people call the asterisk the “star”, and the pound button the “hash”.
Your Galaxy device is now unlocked and you can take it to any network you want. This code has been around for a while now, so it’ll probably work with lots of Samsung handsets.
